Kid Flash (Bart Allen)
History Origin Bart Allen was Born to Don Allen, the son of Barry Allen, the second Flash, and his wife Meloni, the daughter of President Thawne of Earth and descendent of the evil Professor Zoom, in the late 30th century. Bart was born with his grandfather's speed. He had incredibly high metabolism and also aged at hyperspeed. When he was two years old, he physically looked twelve. The Thawne family had hated the Allen family for hundreds of years. President Thawne had the Dominators kill Don and his twin sister, Dawn. The Dominators kidnapped Bart, who was later captured by Earthgov for observation. The scientists of Earthgov raised him in a virtual reality environment so that he aged as swiftly mentally as he did physically. Bart was going to die of old age and Earthgov was not doing anything to fix his problem. His grandmother Iris took him away and brought him back to the 20th century, so that her nephew, Wally West, the third Flash, could show him how to control his speed. He adopted the identity Impulse. After Wally helped him solve his problem and Bart helped him to defeat Kobra, Bart moved to Manchester, Alabama with Max Mercury. Wally had used his connections to supply Bart with a birth certificate, etc. Bart began the ninth grade at Manchester Junior High. He managed to make quite a few friends, chief among them Carol Bucklen. Max continued to train him in the art of superspeed, having him run obstacle courses while dodging axes and knives, solving jigsaw puzzles in mid-air, and the like. During this time, he became one of the founding members of Young Justice. Following Max's disappearance, he was taken in by Jay Garrick, the first Flash, and his wife Joan. Kid Flash Following the breakup of Young Justice, Bart joined the new Teen Titans. He soon had his kneecap blown out by Deathstroke (who was at the time possessed by Jericho) and replaced with an artificial one. While recovering, Bart read every single book in the San Francisco Public Library and reinvented himself as the new Kid Flash. Even with the artificial kneecap, he could still run close to light speed. After Superboy-Prime attacked Conner Kent (Superboy) in Smallville and injured or killed many Teen Titans, Bart joined with Wally West and Jay Garrick to stop the rampage of Superboy-Prime by running him at top speed into the Speed Force. Jay reached his limit before entering the Speed Force and Wally turned into energy and vanished, leaving Bart alone with Superboy-Prime. Barry Allen, Johnny Quick and Max Mercury, all of whom had previously been absorbed into the Speed Force, appeared and aided Bart. After taking Superboy-Prime into the Speed Force, Barry told Bart that "Wally is waiting for you". After they disappeared, Jay claimed that the Speed Force was gone. A speedster wearing Barry's costume returned in Tokyo shortly thereafter to warn of the return of Superboy-Prime. This same Flash, still wearing Barry Allen's costume, would appear in the middle of the Battle of Metropolis against the army of escaped supervillains. Superboy-Prime reveals that the person in the Flash costume is Bart Allen, years older. Bart explains to the nearby Wonder Girl (who is suprised by her fellow Titan's transformation) that his grandfather's uniform was the only thing that could survive the trip back from where he had been, and that he was the only one there "who could still run". Bart then unleashed his anger against Superboy Prime for killing Conner Kent, pummeling him at superspeed and forcing Superboy to retreat from the battle. When the crisis is over, Bart explained to Jay that he spent years in an unknown dimension where he grew older. Bart confirmed that the Speed Force was destroyed and he used up the residual speed locked in his body fighting in Metropolis. He gave Barry's costume to Jay and says Jay was now the fastest man alive again. Flash Bart shunned his super-heroic past for the next year. He got a job working at Keystone Motors and began sharing an apartment with another young man named Griffin Grey. However, he was still connected to the Speed Force, but the connection threatened to kill him. S.T.A.R. Labs modified one of his grandfather's old costumes to help him control his connection. While at first he refused to don the costume, he finally gave in and became the fourth Flash. As the Scarlet Speedster, he managed to defeat Griffin who had been driven insane by his new powers. He also began a relationship with S.T.A.R. Labs employee Valerie Perez but soon after, Bart decided to get a fresh start and moved to Los Angeles, applying for a job in forensics in their police department. Inertia hired the Rogues to help him build a device in Los Angeles with the purpose of transferring the Speed Force from Bart to himself. Despite warnings from his grandmother, Bart confronted them. The machine was successful in removing his powers, but in doing so, it threatened to detonate with the energy of several atomic bombs. Bart continued to fight, after seeing the Black Flash, and believed that there was a still a chance he could survive if Inertia died. He attacked Inertia with uncanny skill but the Rogues, fearing what would happen if his powers were returned, all fired at him with their respective weapons at once. Bart sacrificed himself heroically, distracting the Rogues while Val deactivated the machine, saving millions of lives. A funeral was held for Bart in a stadium in Keystone City. It was attended by a large number of costumed heroes and televised around the world. Eulogies were given by Jay Garrick, who revealed Bart's secret identity to the world, and Bart's former teammates Cyborg, Wonder Girl, and Robin. The funeral ended with the presentation of a video he had recorded shortly after becoming Kid Flash, to be shown in the event of his death. The Return from The Dead When the Legion of the 31st Century came back to the past, the Justice League thought that the return of Wally West was the culmination of their efforts, yet it was only a happy side-effect. Using his lightning rod Brianiac 5 was able to capture the essence of Bart Allen. Returning to the future, he found his Legion beset by Superboy Prime and the Villians he had assembled to destroy them. After calling forth other Legions to help them from alternate Universes, Brainy prepared to implement the second of his three stages in his psychological war against Prime. Gathering all of the lightning weilders of the 3 Legions in their headquarters he also gethered along with Bart's cousin XS, and Light Lass. He had XS run along the Cosmic Tredmill which was connected to the lightning rod, and while Light Lass used her power to keep her from becoming a singularity, and had the Lightning Twins hit her with their power. Bart found himself in the 31st Century along with his cousin and the members of the Legion. Taking the Flash Ring offered to him. Dressing himself, Kid Flash launched himself at Superboy Prime, ready to continue the fight they had started long ago after Prime had escaped the Speed Force. While Bart and XS combated Superboy Prime, using his "Flash Phobia" against him, Brainy explained that the reason for Bart's return to his age before he had traveled into the Speed Force was because after being in the Speed Force, Bart's metabolism turned him into an adult, a cancer to his body. When he died, he was cured of the aging cancer, effectively transforming him back to his teenage state. Bart joined the Legions of three alternate realities against the psychotic Kryptonian. Their battle led them to the Fortress of Solitude where Brainiac 5 inacted his third stage of his plan. Before Bart's eyes, his friend and former teammate, Conner Kent, better known as Superboy, returned from the dead. The two friends continued the fight with Prime which eventually led to him being sent back to Earth-Prime, powerless. After the fight, Bart explained that a strange feeling had come over in his connection with the Speed Force and he believed it was because his old mentor, Max Mercury had also returned. He then offered to take his cousin home to the present with him but XS wished to stay in the 31st Century. Bart and XS used the cosmic treadmills to send the alternate Legions back home before Kid Flash, Superman, and Superboy all returned to their time. Bart and Conner visited the Titans Tower where old friends and teammates awaited them. Bart shared an embrace with Wally and all was well. The Flash: Rebirth thumb|left|200px|Bart discusses his bitterness over Barry's return with his friends When Bart returned to the present, he quickly discovered that things had changed significantly since he had been away. Barry Allen, his grandfather and legendary speedster who had sacrificed himself against the battle with the Anti-Monitor, had also returned from the grave. At The Teen Titans Tower West, where Robin and Wonder Girl had planned a welcome home party for Bart while everyone else was at the parades for Barry, Bart viewed his grandfather's return with skepticism, admitting a desire for things to "go back to the way it used to be". He wished that Wally was still the primary Flash and he would still be his sidekick. Bart's bitterness though centered on feeling angry that Barry was the only one to escape the Speed Force and his former mentor, Max Mercury had not. Bart was soon distracted by other matters though when his grandfather had killed the speedster, Savitar, by merely touching him, everyone connected by the Speed Force was struck with severe pain. Bart was then checked out by Robin while the others were observed by the JLA and the JSA. When Barry Allen had accidentally killed another with a touch yet again, it was revealed that he was now the new Black Flash. The JLA and JSA worked together to contain Barry in a machine that would severe his tie to the Speed Force. Bart rushed to the scene and confronted Barry over the reason why Max had not returned with him but his grandfather could not provide an answer. The Black Flash part of Barry quickly took over, shattering the machine and attempting to reach out to the speedsters, including Bart, in the area. Barry was rushed away by his friends as Bart, Wally, Iris, and Jay could only look on. Superman told Bart and the others that Barry had decided to run back into the Speed Force so he wouldn't hurt any of them. Wally decided to go follow Barry and bring him back and Bart asked him to bring back Max if he could. Shortly after Wally left, Linda contacted Jay and Bart to tell them that Thawne, the Reverse-Flash, was at her house attacking Jai and Iris.thumb|left|100px|Bart ties up Thawne Bart and Jay rushed to the scene, fighting Thawne through the city, crashing through the parade supplies that had been set up. During their fight, Thawne criticized Bart for being a pollutant in the line due to being a descendant of both an Allen and a Thawne. He best Bart with ease and just as he was about to stab him with his staff, lightning struck and Max Mercury suddenly returned from the Speed Force, ready to defend his protege. Bart was shocked and overjoyed by his mentor's return. Wally and Barry returned as well and the group of speedsters charged the Reverse-Flash, ready for a fight. Bart took part in the fight against Thawne with his family, showing great excitement toward Max' revival. He explained to his old teacher some of the things that had happened since Max had been gone, such as reading through a whole library and being the only speedster to actually remember it all. Bart and Max worked together to rescue civilians from the Reverse-Flash's onslaught. When Iris arrived, she greeted Bart with great enthusiasm, having thought Bart was extremely cool since only recently meeting him. When, Wally helped everyone regenerate their outfits, Iris even created a new Impulse outfit and took the identity for herself to both Bart and Wally's utter surprise. After Wally and Barry save Iris from the Reverse-Flash in the past, they bring him back to the present, where Bart, the other speedsters, and various heroes, rebuild the machine they were going to use to sever Barry's connection to the Speed Force and use it on Thawne. Once he's depowered, they make sure not to let him become mobile, because if he does, the Negative Speed Force will kick back in. Bart ties him up in chains and then the entire family joins in on the celebrations that Barry had refused to go to. Bart really seemed to be enjoying himself, waving at the crowd beside his returned mentor, Max. thumb|left|Bart as a Black Lantern|150px The Blackest Night thumb|right|Free of the Black Ring|175px When the Black Power Rings descended to Earth and raised the dead from their graves, transforming them into evil Black Lanterns, Bart helped the Teen Titans fight their newly revived teammates. They managed to withstand the Black Lantern assault and then traveled to Coast City to help Barry who had discovered the Black Lantern Central Power Battery and their leader Nekron. When Bart arrived, he, Barry, and Wally tried an attempt at rescuing the captive Guardians of the Universe and although they got close, they were intercepted by Scar, the renegade Guardian. Nekron revealed that he had allowed all of the heroes who had been resurrected in the past to return to life and that they were still under his control. A Black Lantern 'Batman' spat out black rings that went on anyone had ever died and returned's fingers, including Bart's. He was transformed into a Black Lantern and immediately attacked Barry and Wally, taunting them with horrible words. While fighting, Wally, he tried vibrating his arm through him to kill him but when he did, they both got linked by the Speed Force and the true Bart spoke to Wally briefly, in tears, telling him that he didn't mean anything he had been saying as a Black Lantern. The Black Power Ring severed the link and Bart continued on his rampage. Wally told Barry about what happened and that it was up to Barry, who remained hesitant because he still didn't really know his grandson that well. He vibrated into Bart anyway and the two spoke, Bart in a trans-like state where he accepted that he was now dead. Barry told him this wasn't true and that although the two didn't know each other very well yet, he wanted to know Bart as his grandson. He removed his mask and this snapped Bart out of it, embracing his grandfather. The connection was severed and Bart was back to his normal self, telling Wally and Barry that the Black Lanterns were converging on Coast City. Powers and Abilities Powers Super Speed: Bart can run and move their limbs at superhuman speeds. Biologically inherited ability to tap into the energy known as the Speed force. As kid flash Bart was able to achieve speeds faster than Mach 10 , but after he returned as an adult, Bart was fast enough to achieve speeds just short of light-speed and exceeding it when the need arised. Bart was very fast, but Wally West was faster that made him the second fastest flash. Bart has also said he is the fastest man to ever live, whether these statements are hyperbole or not is unknown. Bart can lend speed to or borrow speed from moving objects, create objects of concentrated Speed Force energy, become intangible by vibrating molecular mass, perform both limited time and inter-dimensional travel and heal personal injuries by accelerating his metabolism. In recent years, with the knowledge and mastery of the Speed Force at his disposal, Bart has managed to reach the seemingly impossible speeds, reaching as fast as the speed of thought. Bart is able to run across the surface of large bodies of water such as oceans. Bart can create wind vortexes by running in circles or rotating his arms and legs. Speed Force Avatars: He has the ability to produce "scouts", Speed Force avatars he could send through the timestream, but has infrequently used it since the death of one could put him in a coma. Time Alteration Resistance: He has also proven resistant to alterations in the time stream, possibly due to an oddity of his origin; his parents met only in post-Zero Hour continuity, but he actually arrived before the event. Photographic Memory: Most recently, it has been discovered that, unlike other speedsters, his photographic memory allows him to recall everything from his speed-reading. For several issues after this revelation, Bart was shown spouting encyclopedic information concerning the situation at hand. This is inconsistent with known continuity as it had been previously established by Max Mercury that those with super-speed cannot permanently retain information if they acquired it through anything other than normal learning processes. Superhuman Reflexes Air Friction Reduction Aura: possesses an aura that prevents air friction from affecting his body and clothes while moving. Speed Force Embodiment: Speed Force is a vaguely defined extradimensional energy force from which most superspeed-powered heroes draw their powers. The Speed Force serves as the ultimate measure of velocity in the DCU. They are often referred to in terms of barriers: Sound barrier, Light barrier, Time Barrier, Dimensional Barrier, and finally the Speed Force Barrier. Since Infinite Crisis, Bart's connection to the Speed Force has been more difficult to control. When he taps into the Speed Force, Bart appears to have electricity crackling around him, and has become so lethal, that he needs to wear the Flash suit while running in order to prevent it from killing him. However, he is no longer just a conduit he is now one with the Speed Force. This means that he and the Speed Force are one in the same. The result of this is that he could possibly be the most powerful flash in history. *''Metabolize Wounds: Accelerating his healing factor while using the Force to sustain him, he could heal from grievous injury, however it should be noted that his injuries may not "heal right" and medical care may still be required. *Superhuman Stamina: Due to his connection with the Speed Field, Bart's stamina recuperates at an accelerated rate. '''Molecular Control': ability to control the vibration of his molecules to the degree that he could vibrate through solid objects. West can cause whatever he vibrates through to explode . Bio-Fission: Shortly before the Our Worlds at War event, Bart Allen developed the ability to create clone duplicates of himself. The clones always obeyed Bart's commands, and fused back with him once a task was completed. One of these clones was killed during a Young Justice mission to Apokolips, causing great physical trauma to Bart. After that event, Bart never used the power again. Abilities *Flashes and other super-speedsters also have the ability to speak to one another at a highly accelerated rate. He is capable of speed-reading at superhuman rates. Strength *Kid Flash possesses the strength level of a male teenager who engages in moderate regular exercise. Weakness *None Known Equipment *Costume Ring Former Equipment *Black Lantern Power Battery *White Lantern Power Battery Weapons Former Weapons *Black Lantern Power Ring *White Lantern Power Ring See Also *Kid Flash (Bart Allen)/Gallery In Other Media Smallville :See: Impulse (Kyle Gallner) Young Justice :See: Impulse (Young Justice) Notes *Bart's first appearance as Kid Flash was Teen Titans (Volume 3) #4. *His first appearance as the Flash was The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #2. *Bart Died in his appearance The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #13 Alternate Timelines Titans of Tomorrow In this storyline, Bart assumed the mantle of the Flash after the current Flash died in a "Crisis". In this alternate future, he was able to steal the speed of others, a power he used on his past self. At first, he appeared to be working with the Titans of Tomorrow, but was secretly spying on those Titans on the behalf of the resistance group formed by the Cyborg of this alternate future, Titans East. In this future, Bart had a romantic relationship with Rose Wilson, the Ravager. Dark Tomorrow After the death of Max Mercury and Helen Claiborne, Bart and his girlfriend, Carol Bucklen, travel back to future to be with Barts Mother. Carol begins to study the source of Bart's powers, the speed force to benafit the Human race. But Bart's grandfather, President Thawne, uses the reserch to strenghten his army stronger. He makes Super speed soilders. An Adult Carol and Bart mange pull thier younger self main strem Bart and Carol into the future, when they return to thier time, Bart prevents Max's and Helen's deaths to stop this future from ever happening. Trivia *Bart has been quoted on several occasions stating that he would never become Kid Flash. *Bart once shaved his head. Due to his accelerated metabolism, his hair grew back fairly quickly. *Bart once had a Green Lantern tattoo on his left shoulder, as a means of helping to secure his secret identity as Kid Flash. However, due to his accelerated healing, his skin perceived the tattoo ink as a poison and quickly purged it from his system. *Bart was originally slated to become a member of the Justice League for the Justice League animated series, but his inclusion was dropped from consideration during pre-production. Early dailies for Justice League included in the Justice League Volume 1 DVD set show a teaser preview with Impulse on the team. *Batman is often credited with providing Bart the nickname Impulse. This is erroneous as it was Bart who gave himself the name after Wally West accused him of being too "impulsive". Links *http://en.dcdatabaseproject.com/Bartholomew_Allen_II_%28New_Earth%29 *http://www.comicvine.com/bart-allen/29-1680/ 4 Category:Teen Titans Members Category:White Lantern Corps Members Category:Former Black Lantern Corps Members